Relief efforts keep Guard busy

February 11, 2010

RICHMOND — The Virginia National Guard is out in force in various snowbound Virginia locations, taking residents for medical care and assisting local officials.

Of the 500 soldiers on active duty, about 320 are in Winchester, Leesburg, Fairfax, Warrenton and Fredericksburg. They are using Humvees to navigate areas with especially deep snow and trucks capable of carrying up to a dozen or more people or cargo.

Some have assisted local emergency officials to clear debris and pull emergency vehicles out of snowbanks. And in Luray, they helped a family that was stranded in their home without power.

The Guard has completed more than 50 missions from Virginia emergency officials.